Personal flotation cocoon

ABSTRACT

A personal anti-drowning system comprising a front fastening inflatable cocoon and inflating means: the inflatable cocoon being fabricated from a water and air resistant fabric such that at least part of the inflatable cocoon comprises air tight inflatable pockets at least on back of said suit and wherein when inflated and in water, said inflatable pockets support a person within the cocoon above the water, who can partially unfasten front fastening of the suit and sit up so that body below the waste is in said cocoon and torso, head and arms of the person protrude out of said suit.

PRIORITY INFORMATION

The present application is a continuation-in-part application that, under 35 U.S.C. 120 or 365(c), claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 12/221,271 which was filed on 1 Aug. 2008 and published as US2008000221271, and itself claims priority from provisional application No. U.S. 60/953,470 that was filed on 2 Aug. 2007.

The inventor is Carl, Nechama; Jerusalem, Israel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to providing a personal floating life support system to protect and prevent persons from drowning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sea-craft and aircraft provided with life-vests, so that should craft sink, persons thereon may take advantage of life-vests and stay afloat until located by rescuers.

Although in wide use, and, in many instances required by law, such life-vests are limited in their effectiveness as life support means, since, although they effectively prevent persons from sinking, and also are fairly effective in keeping conscious persons' mouth and nose out of the water, and thereby preventing drowning, persons not fished out of the water fairly quickly tend to suffer from hypothermia, resulting in death in a matter of minutes to hours, depending on the water temperature, fitness of the person, and the like.

Among prior art solutions, the following publications are notable: U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,335 to Hoshino, Takahiro titled “Cold-proof water-proof garment” describes a cold-proof water-proof garment, which is to be worn for marine operations on cold water and can save life in such a case as when a man wearing it accidentally drops into water or encounters perils of the sea. The garment described and shown provides full movement of the wearer on land. Notably, the inflation of the garment is designed to rotate the wearer to float horizontally, face upwards, thereby preventing drowning and faccilitating rescue.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,072 to Lastnik titled “Anti-exposure suit”, which describes an anti-exposure suit that protects a wearer against environments characterized by extremely cold temperatures. The suit comprises a coverall type garment including an outer layer of lightweight fluid impervious material and an inner fluid impervious layer defining an air-tight bladder therebetween for injection of gas to form an insulative layer between the wearer and the surrounding environment. In a preferred embodiment of the suit the inwardly facing surface of both the inner layer and the outer layer are highly reflective to minimize the loss of radiant heat. A life vest including pockets adapted for in place injection of buoyant material may be provided as an integral part of the suit or provided separately as an overgarment as desired. The outwardly facing surface of the outer layer may be provided with a highly visible surface to facilitate location of a wearer during a search and rescue operation.

As is clear from the illustrations thereof, Lastnick's suit is a close fitting suit that provides the wearer with maximum movement. When incorporporating the life-belt, whether integrally or as an overgarment, the wearer will float with most of the body under water. Although designed to prevent hypothermia, it will be appreciated that Lastnick's suit is unable to prevent heat loss by conduction. The limbs are submerged and will lose heat to their surroundings. Furthermore, the main flotation element 56 is worn on the back. As described by Hoshino, this tends to cause the wearer to float face downwards in the water, so partiicularly when wearer is unconscious, risks drowning.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,075 to Nygard; Holger B. titled “Survival suit” describes a survival suit mainly for use in water, made of a pliable material allowing the wearer to swim easily while wearing the suit. The suit consists of a watertight outer skin (a) and of an inner skin (b) which are held together by an interlayer (9) which acts as insulation. The mid-section (7, 8) of the suit is designed and functions like bellows or folds (5, 7, 8). These folds start down at hip level and extend upwards on the suit. The purpose of this design is to allow the wearer to withdraw his arms from the sleeves (6) and bring them into the main body (16) of the suit in order to attend to his personal hygienic needs or to be able to rub the parts of his body which suffer from the cold.

What distinguishes this suit from previous suits of the art, is that the wearer can withdraw his feet from the inflated legs, into the suit to rub them, and restore circulation. Similarly, the arms are retractable from the sleeves. This enables body massage, removal of waste products, etc. The suit provides a solution for longer periods of exposure, with reduced risk of hypothemia.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,160 to Toth, Louis titled “Survival suit” describes a survival suit for providing a user with an inflatable suit that would keep its wearer afloat, keep them warm, and provide food and water in an emergency. The survival suit includes a main body portion and leg portions that extend from the main body portion. Arm portions extend from the main body portion and shoe portions extend from the leg portions. A hood portion extends from the main body portion. An inflatable bladder is coupled to the main body portion, the leg portions, the arm portions, the shoe portions, and the hood portion. An automatic inflation assembly is coupled to the main body portion and in environmental communication with the bladder to selectively inflate the bladder. The bladder extends along the side portions of the main body portion and the leg portions to facilitate free movement of a person in the anti-exposure suit.

Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,160 to Toth and U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,075 to Nygard allow withdrawal of the limbs into the suit, none of the suits enable much movement of the torso with respect to the suit. The wearer may float in the water or on the water, but, if on the water, will be essentially horizontal, and if in the water, will not protrude much above the water. The wearer cannot easily see around, and will invariably be unaware of proximity to land, rescurers or other survivors.

The prior art includes dinghies and life rafts that one can sit on and look around, of course. It is, however, all too easy to be swept overboard, and it is not easy to get onto the life-rafts or dinghies in the first place.

There is thus a need for a floating lifesaving system to prevent drowning, that overcomes the problem of hypothermia, that combines the advantages of life jackets and life rafts, in that the user both wears the device and so does not need to get into it, but which he/she can sit up out of, to look around, and the present invention is directed to providing such a system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to providing a personal anti-drowning system comprising an inflatable body cocoon and inflating means: said inflatable body cocoon being fabricated from a water resistant and air resistant fabric wherein at least part of said inflatable cocoon comprises air tight inflatable pockets and the inflatable cocoon separately and completely encases distal body limbs, such that movement of arms and/or legs of person therein, cause corresponding movement of sleeves and/or leggings of the inflatable body cocoon.

Optionally and preferably, the person therein is able to shuffle along inside the cocoon when the cocoon is not inflated. Preferably, the person therein is also able to walk in the inflated cocoon.

Typically, the inflatable cocoon is closable by a zipper.

In one embodiment the cocoon includes a transparent canopy over face of person therein, typically fabricated from a clear polymeric sheet. Furthermore, the inflated body cocoon may include a snorkel, allowing a person within said inflated cocoon to breath air therethrough. Due to gravity and its shape, a person within the cocoon typically naturally assumes a face upward floating position.

The inflating means may include a blow tube for manual inflation of said airtight inflatable pockets thereby. Preferably however, the inflating means includes a source of gas, such as a cylinder of compressed gas for example. Additionally or alternatively, the source of gas is a dense chemical (solid or liquid) that reacts with water to release prodigious quantities of gas.

The personal anti-drowning system preferably includes at least one of the refinements selected from the list of:

(a) a catch for towing thereby;

(b) a dye means for dying water therearound;

(c) a shark repellant;

(d) a light source;

(e) a GPS;

(f) signal flares.

(g) emergency rations, such as drinking water, vitamin supplements, food and mineral supplements and the like;

(h) a dynamo;

(i) propulsion means;

(j) steering means;

(k) communication means;

(l) navigating means, and

(m) a snorkel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, to the accompanying drawings.

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention; the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric projection of a personal life protecting cocoon of the present invention;

FIG. 2 a shows the personal life protecting cocoon of FIG. 1, with a person therein, floating on the sea in a prone position, with the system;

FIG. 2 b is an isometric projection of the personal life protecting cocoon of FIG. 1, with a person therein, floating on the sea in a sitting position, such that persons legs are within the cocoon and the upper body protrudes out of the cocoon;

FIG. 2 c is a cross-section through the FIG. 2 b, showing the position of the person supported by the cocoon, in a sitting position, sitting out of the cocoon, and showing position of legs with respect to the inflated cells of the cocoon, and showing that the back of the cocoon is effectively an air-mattress, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of one inflating means for the personal life protecting cocoon of the present invention.

PARTS LIST

10—inflatable cocoon

12—Person

14L—left sleeve with enclosed hand

14R—right sleeve with enclosed hand

16L—left legging

16R—right legging

18—air tight inflatable pocket

20—air tight inflatable pocket

22—air tight inflatable pocket

24—air tight inflatable pocket

26—zipper

28—transparent canopy

30—light source

32—catch or loop

40—sea

42—sinking yacht

50—inflation subsystem

52—gas cylinder

54—valve

56—Conduits

58—release mechanism\

60—pin

62—spring

70—automatic release means

72—power supply

74—sensor

76—electronic component

78—electromagnet

80—circuit breaking switch

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to providing a personal anti-drowning, life protecting cocoon. Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown, in isometric projection, a first embodiment of the invention comprising an inflatable cocoon 10 for protecting a human being, henceforth a person 12. The inflatable cocoon 10 has sleeves 14L, 14R appended thereto, for encasing the left and right arms of the person 12 therein, and similarly, has leggings 16L, 16R appended thereto, for encasing the left and right legs of the person 12 therein. In this manner, the distal body limbs of the person 12 encased therein are free to move, thereby causing movement of the sleeves 14L, 14R and leggings 16L, 16R of the inflatable cocoon 10. In contradistinction to life preserving inflatable suits of the prior art, the cocoon fully encloses the arms and legs, including the feet and hands, within flippers that insulate and isolate the limbs from the water when the cocoon is floating.

The inflatable cocoon 10 is fabricated from a water resistant and air resistant fabric. The suit panels are compartmentalized into air-tight inflatable pockets 18, 20, 22, 24, similar to the sections of an air mattress, such that a puncture or tear in the cocoon, will only result in loss of pressure in a limited section, minimizing the likelihood of sinking.

Notably, there is a full set of air-tight pockets on the back of the cocoon, so that when in the water, a person within the cocoon, floating on his back, will float out of the water.

It will be appreciated that since the cocoon 10 conforms to the limbs, a person 12 will be able to shuffle along therein, along the deck of a boat, perhaps. Furthermore, prior to inflation of the cocoon 10, a person 12 encased therein, will be able to walk relatively unhindered.

Therefore: typically, the cocoon will be fastened by a zip fastener or zipper 26, providing an easily openable and closable join. Alternatively, other fastening means such as buttons, press-studs, toggles, or Velcro may be used. Optionally, the seams and fastening means are watertight, but this is not actually necessary, since by virtue of the air pockets, the cocoon is kept afloat. The fastening means are primarily down the middle of the suit at the front, ands can by opened and closed from within the cocoon 10 and can also be partially opened, so that when floating on ones back as shown in FIG. 2 a, a person 12 within the suit can unfasten the fastening means and sit up out of the cocoon 10 as shown in FIG. 2 b, so that the lower body is within the suit and the torso, arms and head are out of and above the cocoon. This enables the person to 12 look around for other survivors or for rescuers, to remove or put on upper garments, etc.

Indeed, due to the unique design, the person 12 can extract himself from the inflated cocoon 10, when lying on the water, and could theoretically get right out of it, swim in the water and clamber back in. Thus the suit is very different from prior art inflatable cocoons.

A transparent canopy 28 is provided to shield the face of the person 12 therein. The transparent canopy 28 may be fabricated from a clear polymeric sheet material such as polyethylene, for example, but may also be tinted to provide protection from the sun, typically to the eyes.

Preferably a light source 30 is provided. This may be a flashing light or steady light, and may be white, red or any other color. The light may be provided by a battery power supply, or electrodes of differing metals, such as copper and zinc, may be provided, that are immersed in the water therearound, to provide an electrical current thereby. Such a light source greatly increases the likelihood of the person 12 being spotted by a searching boat, helicopter or airplane, and, facilitates rescue searches being carried out at night and in other conditions of poor visibility.

Typically to further aid visibility, the cocoon will be fabricated, at least in part, from a fluorescent or a reflective material. Other means of increasing visibility are preferably provided, such as fluorescent or coloured dyes that may be intentionally released by person 12, or automatically released into water by being encapsulated in a slow dissolving casing, for example. Similarly, flares and/or other signaling means may be provided. To facilitate rescue, the body cocoon 10 typically includes a catch 32, such as a loop, enabling the cocoon 10 to be engaged to a boat hook or a towrope, for example. In preferred embodiments, individual cocoons may be attached together by such loops or similar attachment means, facilitating mutual support and ease of rescue.

As shown in FIG. 2 a, by virtue of the design, a person 12 within the life saving cocoon 10, naturally assumes a face upward floating position, and will float upon the waves of the sea 40. In this manner, the person 12 therein is above the water, insulated therefrom by two layers of plastic and air cushions therebetween. In consequence, the person's 12 body is better able to conserve body heat, than with conventional lifejackets or body suits, wherewith the body is mostly immersed in water, which sucks out body heat and induces hypothermia and death. By providing full body protection and due to the encapsulation of the person within, the personal anti-drowning system of the present invention provides protection against sun and wind, effectively minimizing the likelihood of dehydration. Furthermore, the person 12 is protected from the chilling effect of the rain and is thus effectively cocooned from the elements. As shown in FIGS. 2 b and 2 c, it will be appreciated that where calm weather conditions prevail, the person 12 within the cocoon 10 is able to unfasten the part of the cocoon covering the torso, and will be able to sit up and review his surroundings, look out for land, other survivors or rescuers. Thus a crewmember or passenger of a sinking yacht 42, has a greatly increased likelihood of survival. It will also be appreciated, that insurance premiums will drop significantly, as the likelihood of survival is greatly increased.

Referring to FIGS. 2 b and 2 c, It will be noted by virtue of inflated back part of suit 100 that serves as an air-mattress, with the inflated front part of the leg sections 18, 24 that serves as a contra, the person 12 is able to sit up in the suit.

With reference to FIG. 3, the personal anti-drowning system typically includes an automatic inflation subsystem 50, for inflating the cocoon 10. This will usually include a source of gas, such as a compressed gas cylinder 52, closed by a valve 54, that, if opened, allows compressed gas therein, to escape and expand down conduits 56 to the air cushions 18, 20, 22, 24 . . . of the cocoon 10.

Compressed gas may be released from the gas cylinder 52, by manually opening valve 54, by pressing on a release mechanism 58, for example. This might drive a pin 60 into the gas cylinder 52, overcoming the resistive force exerted by a spring 62. Preferably, an automatic release means 70 is provided for activating valve 54, for automatically releasing compressed gas and inflating air cushion of cocoon when suit is immersed in water, so that even if person 12 is unconscious or paralyzed, the cocoon 10 will inflate, preventing person 12 therein from drowning.

By way of example only, such an automatic release means 70 might include a power supply 72 such as an electrochemical cell, sensors 74 for determining presence of water and for automatically closing circuit if system is immersed in water, other electronic components 76 such as transistors, such that if sensors 74 detect presence of water, an electromagnet 78 will be activated, thereby activating valve 54. Typically and preferably, a circuit-breaking switch 80 will be provided to override the automatic release means 70.

It will be appreciated however, that the cocoon 10 of the personal anti-drowning system might be inflated by gas originating elsewhere. For example, the air cushions might include or be connected to a reservoir containing a dense chemical (solid or liquid) that reacts with water to release prodigious quantities of gas, and be inflated thereby. Suitable gas releasing chemical means are known. There are many gas-generating reactive compositions suitable for such purposes, including those developed for the so-called smokeless powders and composite type propellants used for missiles and the like. Any safe, controllable, fast chemical reaction that generates large amounts of carbon dioxide or nitrogen might be used for this purpose.

Suitable decomposable or combustible compositions include the abides of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, either used alone or with inorganic oxidizing substances such as carbonates or bicarbonates, organic thermally decomposing gas-generating substances such as azodicarbonamide and barium azodicarboxilylate, azotetrazol, etc. Suitable nitrogen generating compositions include sodium azide and manganese IV oxide, sodium abide, manganese IV oxide and zinc carbonate, sodium azide and potassium perchlorate, barium azide and potassium perchlorate or ammonium perchlorate and unsaturated polyester resin, for example.

The gas producing chemical reaction is required to be safe and reliable, and not to be prone to accidental detonation. The system incorporating such a reaction is required to include a triggering means. Such a triggering means might be a chemical triggering means, a mechanical triggering means or an electronic triggering means. The trigger means may be designed to be triggered automatically in response to some stimulus, such as, where the vessel is a boat, the boat beginning to sink, or water entering the hull to a certain depth for example. Alternatively, the trigger means may be designed to be triggered manually. Particularly when the triggering means includes an electronically generated spark, the actuating stimulus may be provided in many different ways, including an acoustic actuating stimulus or a pressure actuating stimulus. The triggering means may be impact actuated, perhaps by a spring loaded actuation means.

The emergency system may include more than one trigger system, the second trigger system providing a failsafe backup. An emergency system including a plurality of trigger systems may have automatic trigger systems and manual triggers systems, so that someone on board may be able to trigger the emergency system in rough seas, for example, with the system being triggered automatically once the vessel having the system starts to sink, or to list at an unacceptably sharp angle, for example.

For triggering a chemical reaction based, gas generating inflation system, one suitable triggering means includes an ignition device having a rotary mechanism for bringing a friction means into contact with a frictional ignition agent. One such friction means is a glass powder in a suitable bonding agent. Another frictional means is a body having a file-like rough surface. One possible frictional ignition agent is a composition including chemicals selected from the list of potassium chlorate, potassium bichromate, manganese dioxide, iron-oxide, sulphur, diatonmaceous earth, glass powder and zinc oxide.

Indeed, there are several frictional ignition agents known, including the compositions commonly used for the heads of safety matches and the like.

Instead of the means described hereinabove, or in addition thereto, the airtight inflatable pockets of the cocoon 10 of the personal anti-drowning system may be manually inflated via a blow tube.

The cocoon 10 described above need not be hermetically sealed, and should water be shipped thereinto, the person 12 therein will get a little wet, but, by virtue of the aircushions, the person 12 will be insulated and isolated form the sea itself, and will not loose too much body heat thereby.

In contradistinction to wetsuits, inflatable body suits and the like, the hands and feet are enclosed and thus insolated and isolated from the water. This reduces risk of hypothermia and frostbite.

Therefore: the basic personal anti-drowning cocoon system is capable of modification and variation, and specific embodiments, may vary somewhat from that described above.

The anti-drowning, life saving cocoon 10 with many optional features and enhancements that were not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for simplicity. In addition to a gas cylinder for the inflation thereof, and lamp for signaling position thereof, many other features may be included. Thus, the anti-drowning cocoon 10 may include a snorkel thereby allowing person 12 encased within the cocoon 10 to breath air therethrough. A global positioning system (GPS) may be included for signaling the absolute position (latitude-longitude) of the anti-drowning cocoon 10, further facilitating location and rescue. Emergency rations may be provided, such as drinking water, food and vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Soluble, slow releasing chemicals including shark repellant for repelling sharks and colored dyes for staining the water to aid location, may be provided, as may signal flares. A tow loop may be provided, for enabling, inter alia, linking up with other body cocoons 10, for keeping families together, and for facilitating rescue.

Even an internal light might be provided to enable the person within to read, and a sub posterior void for accumulation of human excretia. Indeed, the person within might be provided with a magnet compass and/or other navigating tools, and the cocoon 10 might include a propeller linked by a transmission means to a pedal or pedals within the system for propulsion through the water, and a rudder for steering purposes. Other refinements such as a hand-operated dynamo might be provided for powering the various systems, and a telecommunication system for communication with the outside world.

It will be appreciated that these optional additional features come in addition to the main elements of the personal anti-drowning system, i.e. a front fastening inflatable cocoon and inflating means; the inflatable cocoon being fabricated from a water and air resistant fabric such that at least part of said inflatable cocoon comprises air tight inflatable pockets at least on back of said suit and wherein when inflated and to in water, said inflatable pockets support a person within the cocoon above the water, who can partially unfasten front fastening of the suit and sit up so that body below the waste is in said cocoon and torso, head and arms of the person protrude out of the suit.

Thus persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.

In the claims, the word “comprise”, and variations thereof such as “comprises”, “comprising” and the like indicate that the components listed are included, but not generally to the exclusion of other components. 

1. A personal anti-drowning system comprising a front fastening inflatable cocoon and inflating means: said inflatable cocoon being fabricated from a water and air resistant fabric such that at least part of said inflatable cocoon comprises air tight inflatable pockets at least on back of said suit and wherein when inflated and in water, said inflatable pockets support a person within the cocoon above the water, who can partially unfasten front fastening of the suit and sit up so that body below the waste is in said cocoon and torso, head and arms of the to person protrude out of said suit.
 2. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein said inflatable cocoon separately encases distal body limbs, such that movement of arms and/or legs of person therein, causes corresponding movement of sleeves and/or leggings of the inflatable cocoon.
 3. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein a person therein is able to walk relatively unhindered when the cocoon is not inflated.
 4. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein a person therein is able to walk in said inflated cocoon.
 5. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein said cocoon is closable by a zipper.
 6. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein said cocoon includes a transparent canopy over face of person therein.
 7. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 6, wherein said transparent canopy is fabricated from a clear polymeric sheet.
 8. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 6, wherein said inflated cocoon includes a loop for coupling to other suits.
 9. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein, due to gravity thereon, a person therein naturally assumes a face upward floating position.
 10. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein said inflating means includes a blow tube for manual inflation of said airtight inflatable pockets thereby.
 11. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 1, wherein said inflating means includes a source of gas.
 12. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 11, wherein said source of gas is a compressed gas cylinder.
 13. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 11, wherein said source of gas is a dense chemical that reacts with water to release prodigious quantities of gas.
 14. The personal anti-drowning system of claim 13, wherein said dense chemical is selected from the list of solids and liquids. 